SAGINAW, MI — Mistakes and bad luck cost Means Stamping in the Connie Mack regional tournament at Battle Creek with a pair of losses that capped off the 2014 season for the Stampers.

A pair of unearned runs cost Means in a 4-2 setback to eventual champion Metro Stars out of Detroit in the first game of pool play, and a strong defensive performance from Longshots Navy out of Illinois set down the Stampers 7-1 in the second game to end the season.

Devon Clifford (Bay City Central/Delta) blasted a two-run shot in the first inning against Metro, but the Stars scored two unearned runs off an error in the bottom of the first to tie it 2-2.

Then Metro harnessed its aggressiveness on the base paths to score the eventual game winner.

Metro doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and had runners on second and third with one out when they tried a suicide squeeze. Scott Badour (Bay City Western) fielded the bunt and threw the runner out at first for one out that allowed the first runner to score, but the runner at second came around right behind him for a second run that beat the throw from first.

Means loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but it couldn't get the hit to score a run.

Badour suffered the loss allowing two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts in seven innings, and he had a hit at the plate. Carson Eby (Bay City Western) had two hits.

In the nightcap, Longshots had the hot bats early plating four runs in the first, two in the fifth and one in the sixth, while Means' lone run came in the fourth on a sacrifice fly.

"We hit the ball all over, they just caught all of 'em," Gerkin said. "They robbed us, and there's not much you can do with those. That's just baseball."

Clifford and Badour had a hit apiece for Means.

Seth Freed (Bay City Western) singled and stole second to move into scoring position for Means in the fourth. He came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Badour.

Means Stamping capped off the season with a 21-14 record.

Cory Butzin covers sports for MLive/Saginaw News. Email him at cbutzin1@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.